Sometimes an investigator arrives at a crime scene and the evidence sufficiently describes the events that took place. In most cases however, the only piece of evidence an investigator may have is an eyewitness who thinks they saw something important. In these circumstances, a sketch must be created based on the witness’ description. A sketch used in investigations can be a forensic sketch, drawn by an artist, or a composite, created by computer software (Klum et al., 2013, pg. 1). This essay documents the initial attempts at facial sketches in criminal investigations, the various roles forensic artists have filled, and America’s transition into composite sketches. Today, the majority of law enforcement agencies utilize composite sketches for…show more content… Alphonse Bertillon devised a system that comprised of a prisoner’s body measurements. He sought to document enough about the prisoner so that investigators could easily identify them when future recidivism occurred. The system that Bertillon designed became the basis for future advancements such as “kits, catalogues, and today’s computer generated systems” (Taylor, 2001, pg. 14). Facial features that Bertillon insisted were to be measured are the same parts that investigators ask a witness to recall details about. Examples of these are, but not limited to, the ear size, the eye shape, the nose, and the fullness of their lips. According to Osterburg (2014), Bertillon’s method became known as Le Portrait Parle and was used for twenty more years on the basis of snowflake ideology (pg. 157). That is, that no two people have such similar measurements that they can be confused or mistaken for another person. The FBI’s article A Centennial History (2010) suggests this remained the consensus until 1903 when Will West was mistaken for another prisoner by the name of William West. Their uncanny resemblance caused the Bertillon Method to be dismissed and the following year, the development of fingerprint classification proved to be a better way to document prisoners (pg. 157). Although Bertillon’s Le Portrait Parle failed at its intended use, it proved to be the foundation for future endeavors in forensic and composite…show more content… Nor has research definitively said that these software programs yield better results than a capable artist that asks all the right questions. Jain, Klare, and Klum (2013) listed both the pros and cons of using facial sketches—however the method was used. Authorities will distribute the facial sketch via media outlets and to other agencies but this process takes time and does not include the mug shot databases as a possible way to obtain identification (Jain et al., 2013, pg. 1). Facial sketches or composites play a crucial role in the discovery phase of a police investigation. If the proper questions are asked, an investigator will jog the witness’ memory and in return, get more facts and leads to go off of. As new software is developed and adjustments are made, future research will continue attempting to determine which software is the best for composites. So long as forensic sketches prove to be useful, there will be additional studies that determine their validity. Finally, further studies will show the level of impact a witness’ description of a suspect can have on an open
